The Man In Her Life
by JamesSunderlandsPillow
Summary: Even after ten years, Ronnie Anne and Lincoln are still as close as ever. After all, he's one person who hasn't let her down… (Cover Art by UnderratedHero shocker I know. I do not own The Loud House).


**For Sunny Eclipse.**

* * *

The Loud House, daylight.

It's a warm, sunny day over Royal Woods, Michigan. It's crazy to think that this would be the case for February, but if one thing has been established in 2026, it's that the weather can be a little strange any time of the year.

Many things change with time, of course, but some things stay very much the same.

That's the case for Miss Ronnie Anne Santiago as she rides her skateboard along the sidewalks of Franklin Avenue just like she did in her younger years, steadily strolling her way to her favorite comic book loving lame-o's 1216 home. Though friends came and went through different schools and two moves, one person refused to leave her life, and that was Lincoln Loud. And truth be told, she was very happy about that.

It's why she's coming over unannounced to kidnap him and make him go to Gus' Games N Grub with her on this afternoon. He needed to get out of the house and away from his sisters (more importantly, his video games). She wanted to see him, and she knows that, whether or not he'll admit it, he'll be happy to see her too.

He better be anyway.

She makes it to the familiar suburban home with the eleven handprints painted on the far wall, and parks herself to take off her helmet and have a look at the place. All the ducking, dodging, pushing, and shoving that goes on in there sure does warm her heart, and she loves thinking about just how close and together this family is and always has been, even through the tough times.

A bit of a wistful sigh escapes her though as cloudier thoughts lurk their way into the back of her mind, but she shakes herself before they can really bother her.

"Forget it, Ronnie. The past is in the past," she reminds herself before taking a deep breath of ironically warm winter air and making her way up to the steps.

She's pleasantly surprised to find twenty six year old Lori and sixteen year old Lola making their way out of the home, both laughing about something together. It makes Ronnie Anne smile to see them like this, and they seem happy to see her too.

"Oh, hey there gorgeous," Lori playfully greets her sister-in-law, "What brings you into the neighborhood?"

Ronnie Anne smirks. "Oh, you know, came to pester your white haired sister," she jokes.

Lola laughs at that. "You're too funny! But seriously, good luck with that. He's doing that stupid LARPing stuff with Daddy right now."

Ronnie Anne raises a brow. "LARPing?"

Lori rolls her eyes. "It's a fancy term for playing pretend. A fifty year old man and his twenty year old son are playing pretend," she snarkily states.

"Why am I not surprised?" Ronnie Anne responds.

Lori shakes her head. "I mean, to each their own. But if they ever get Bobby dressing up like a superhero, I will literally divorce him," she jokes.

Lola isn't impressed by her attempt at humor though. "Pffft, yeah right. You'll divorce him, and the Underrated Pillow show is actually funny," she ripostes.

The two blondes just smirk at one another with their fun banter before facing Ronnie Anne again. "Well, we're off to the mall to do a little Valentine's Day shopping. I'm gonna get Bobby a nice flannel shirt and Lola here is gonna buy her girlfriend _Lindsey _something," she teases with cutesy eyes.

That makes Lola blush before scowling. "Uh, she's not my girlfriend! I just, wanna buy her something nice and… I don't have to explain myself! I'm driving!" she pouts before swiping the keys from Lori and trudging her way to the family van, the one that _miraculously _has managed to stay in one piece all these years.

Lori and Ronnie Anne share a little laugh at Lola's petulant outburst before smiling at one another once more.

"Well, sorry to cut this short, but I really do need to get going. I'm literally booked for the rest of the day," Lori explains with a weary expression.

Ronnie Anne coolly nods. "No problem, I get it," she asserts. "Do I need to like, use a skateboard as shield or something so Lincoln doesn't strike me with a pretend lightning bolt?" she jokes.

Lori chuckles. "I think you'll be fine. Just have fun," she tells her before the sound of a car horn blares from the driveway.

"Come on! I'm not gettin' any younger here!" Lola shouts from the van.

Lori just shakes her head and smiles before making her way over, and with that, Ronnie Anne makes her way through the front door of the Loud house.

She steps inside, and sees some of the usual suspects hanging around. Luna and Sam are playing some Phil Collins on their guitars, Lynn and Lucy are trying to explain international politics to Lily while watching TV, and Lisa is… just having herself a Coke.

They all stop what they're doing once they see Ronnie Anne enter their domicile though, all offering her hellos and salutations.

"Hey Lisa," Ronnie Anne cheerfully says to the resident cola aficionado.

"Greetings Ronnie Anne. How is my girl doing?" Lisa responds, putting aside scientific vernacular for the sake of, as the kids refer to them, 'memes.'

"Where's Lame-O?" Ronnie Anne asks.

"I think he just died. Something about being smothered by hogs? Or was it frogs?" Lily explains to their guest.

Ronnie Anne amusedly scoffs at that, and she casually runs her hand through the eleven year old's thin, blonde hair as she walks by her. "Thanks, Stinky," she affectionately says to her.

Lily frowns. "I'm not a baby anymore! You can stop calling me that!"

Ronnie Anne disregards her statement as she makes her way into the kitchen, but her smile is exchanged for a look of disbelief as she bears witness to the scene playing out inside.

Ketchup, mustard, and even mayonnaise are all over the place, a burnt piece of toast is actually smoking on a broken plate on the counter, and what would appear to be one of Lola's old princess dolls has her long blonde hair all tangled up with a brush.

It's definitely the messiest Ronnie Anne has seen the place in a long time, and while that shocks her, the realization that Lynn Sr and Lincoln are responsible doesn't.

It disappoints her a little, but it doesn't shock her.

She's startled by the image of the patriarch of the Loud family crawling his way into the kitchen from the back door, dramatically acting as if his very life is being taken from him as he makes his way to Ronnie Anne's feet. She just stoically watches on at the old fart dressed in colorful spandex dragging himself to her ankles.

"R-Ronnie Anne… Is that you?" he beseechingly asks her, letting out a fake little cough afterwards.

She tries to keep a straight face, but he's just so silly. She can't help but laugh a little.

"Yes, Mr. Loud. It's me," she simply responds.

He looks up to her, perfectly staying in character despite her ambivalence. "T-Tell Bobby… Tell him…"

He takes a dramatic pause as he acts like his last breath is being drawn, and all Ronnie Anne can do is roll her eyes and try not to laugh some more at his display.

"He can't have my van," Lynn Sr finally musters out before 'dying' at Ronnie Anne's feet.

She just looks at him for a moment before letting out a little sigh. Even in death, he's a jokester.

Gosh, even at fifty something years old, he's still the same lively, happy guy he was when she was first welcomed to his home all those years ago. He still makes the time to be a loving husband, a loving father, and just a swell guy overall. She always admired him for it.

And… deep down, she always kind of resented it too. Not because of him, heck no. But because… well… someone else…

The sound of the back door being forcefully opened pervades the kitchen, and Ronnie Anne looks with wide eyes to the direction of the abrupt commotion.

That's when she sees him in all of his white haired, freckle faced, red and blue spandex wearing glory.

"YAH!" Lincoln animatedly cries out like he's actually some sort of superhero, but he quickly stops when he sees his girl friend.

_Girl _friend. Not girlfriend. Definitely not. No way.

"Oh, hi Ronnie Anne," he greets her with a cool little wave. He just smiles at her like he isn't dressed up like stinkin' Ace Savvy in a kitchen cascaded with condiments, and she just rolls her eyes at him.

"Hello, Ace. Saving the world from actual style today?" she quips.

Lincoln's cheeks redden as a nervous little laugh escapes him, and he looks down to his costume. "I uh, Captain Cowbell attacked the city. Great power, great responsibility?" he insists.

Lynn Sr lifts his head up now, dropping the act. "Okay, but did you really have to kill me?" he begs to know.

"You said you were going to use your nuclear cowbell to destroy the hemisphere?! You gave me no choice!" Lincoln argues.

Lynn just stands up and brushes off his tights before working a kink out of his aging back. "Just one hemisphere though. I was gonna leave the other one alone," he casually responds.

Ronnie Anne just amusedly shakes her head as she watches all of this. "Well, we're not going and getting pizza with you dressed like that," she tells her boy friend.

Uh, _boy _friend. Not boyfriend, obviously.

"We're getting pizza?" Lincoln and his father both say at the same time, and both the youths look to him with incriminating gazes to let him know that she only meant Lincoln.

He pouts. "Oh, _you're _getting pizza," he clarifies before playfully frowning at Ronnie Anne. "Well, that's fine! I'll just make my own pizza!" he tells her before snapping his fingers, puckering his lips, and moving his fanny like a stereotypical mean girl.

And again, she can't help herself but to laugh at how goofy he is. If there was one thing this guy could do on any given day, it was make her laugh.

Not like a certain someone…

But that thought barely has time to linger in her mind as Lincoln approaches her with his bright, beaming face. The years had been kind to him. The family lucked into some money a few years back, so he was able to get his tooth fixed, and his ashy white hair made him look much wiser and handsome than it had any right to.

Sometimes when they went out together, people would mistake them for a couple. And while it was kind of annoying since, well, they _weren't _a couple… She had to admit that there wasn't any shame in knowing someone as good looking as him could be considered her boyfriend.

Maybe they'd talk about that sometime, maybe today even. But for now, she was happy just pulling him away from the embarrassing world of Ace Savvy LARP and back to the reality of being a normal person and going out and actually doing stuff.

"I uh, I guess I should go put on some decent clothes if we're gonna go out," Lincoln says as he anxiously rubs the back of his neck, all while meeting Ronnie Anne's deep brown eyes.

She just smiles at him. He's cute when he's like this. "I mean, I'm not changing into my leotard, so yeah," she jokingly tells him.

"Fair enough. Be back in a flash, dork," Lincoln teases as he lightly pinches her arm before taking off, leaving her to guffaw at his gesture.

It was always pleasantly surprising to see him break out of his shell and tease her like that, for more reasons than one. If this is how today is going to be, the two of them just picking on each other and laughing about the usual silliness…

Then it's going to be a very good day.

A short while later, she finds herself in the living room of the home once again, idling by the front door as she awaits her uh, _not date _for the afternoon. For a boy, he sure did take a while to get ready.

"Probably has to put on his lipstick," Ronnie Anne jokes to herself as she puts her smartphone away to let her eyes wander around for a moment.

That's when she sees Lana entering the kitchen. The dirt princess had mellowed out in the last ten years, but it certainly didn't stop her from enjoying the messy things she loved. She had traded her mud pies for going mudding in a flatbed truck, one that it would appear she's been working on with the way she is covered in black soot.

She goes to the sink and washes her hands, and a moment later, she discovers her father making his way back into the kitchen now free from any LARPing gear. Ronnie Anne watches on with a little grin as he places a loving hand on her shoulder, and begins asking about her day.

And while it does bring her some pride and joy at first… it soon invites a familiar emptiness from deep inside her. The more she watches the two of them smile and laugh at each other, just having fun being together and having a father-daughter talk…

The more she thinks of how she didn't have that.

The nail that firmly drives itself into the proverbial coffin is watching him wrap her into a hug when they finish their talk. He did it because he loves her and is happy for her. He is glad to be around for someone capable of doing such great, worthwhile things. Lana was a great daughter.

Could Ronnie Anne say the same without a dad there to vouch for her?

Her reverie is soon interrupted by the sound of some feet shuffling their way down the stairs of the home, and she looks up to see both Lincoln and Lily making their way down, each laughing.

"You cheated!" Lily cries through her laughter.

They get to the bottom where the steps meet the living room, and Lincoln poses with pride as his little sister mockingly pouts.

"I win," he casually tells her, keeping cool and collected knowing full well that's she'll react with a brand of excitability he too conveyed at her age.

Her jaw drops, "You only one because you took a head start _old man!" _she jokes to him, and he pretends to be offended with a fake gasp.

"Lily!"

For a moment, they let the words linger.

Then they laugh.

Seeing the two of them bond in such a way, much like Lana and Lynn Sr, brings Ronnie Anne a contrasting swirl of emotions in her heart. She wants to be happy that they have this together, she really does. But she can't lie to herself, even if she wants to. She's jealous, she's sad.

Sure, Bobby was a great brother. But he wasn't able to do the things a father could have. He was the only other person who understood where her pain was coming from.

But she buries it. She buries the sadness down deep in the best way she can as Lily waves goodbye to her older brother, dismissing him to go to his longtime friend.

"Alright, grandpa. Have fun on your _date!" _she teases with a quick sticking out of the tongue before walking off.

Lincoln just shakes his head, trying to hide the fact that one of his sisters calling Ronnie Anne his date still made him a little anxious. "She sure loves throwing that word out," he says, trying to play cool as he runs his fingers through his white hair.

If he can play it cool, so can Ronnie Anne. She decides to just put on a weak little smile, snuffing any of those negative feelings here and now to focus on having a good time with Lincoln.

"So, you ready to go?" she simply asks, refraining from using any nicknames or jabs this time. She'll save those for later.

"I'm always ready to spend an afternoon with a lovely lady like you," he says with a sly grin and a finger gun, trying to look like Flynn Rider, but more so just coming off like a dork. He realizes maybe it was a poor choice of words though as Ronnie Anne meets him with an inquisitive expression, and he fixes his posture. "Uhm, yeah, let's go," he adds, trying to alleviate some of the awkwardness.

If they were still in Royal Woods Elementary school, and he had said this around their old classmates like Rusty and Clyde, she would actually be tempted to punch him in his perfect teeth.

But, just like she can't lie to herself about her sensitivity regarding her father, she also can't lie that, Lincoln's intentions were charming. _He _was charming.

So she just smiles and shakes her head before taking to the door. "Yes. I'm always ready to spend an afternoon with a lovely lady like _you," _she jokes as she holds it open for him.

He blushes a little as a nervous laugh escapes him, and he just makes his way out the door. Being the gentleman he is though, he takes it for himself, choosing to hold it open for her instead of the other way around.

She looks to his pale face, and while she almost wants to challenge his chivalry, she sees the way his blue eyes look back to her with a familiar mirth inside of them, and the way he beams that signature warm smile of his.

Ugh… Why did he have to be so good at making her feel so good?

"Thanks, dweeb," she teases. And with that, they make their way out to go enjoy the rest of their day together.

* * *

Their walk to Gus' Games N Grub was nothing new. Between their usual banter about being punks and losers, or how Ronnie Anne could crush Lincoln at any video game she set her mind to, they actually managed to do a decent amount of catching up.

It started off all well and good. Lincoln told her how he was doing okay with his college courses, and how Flip was considering giving him more hours at the Food and Fuel. 'Considering' being the keyword.

That reminded Ronnie Anne how she wasn't doing so well with her current studies though, but before it could sour her mood anymore, she chose to change the topic of discussion to Clyde.

"How is the goofball?" she asked.

"Well, you know. Clincoln McCloud is the endgame OTP," Lincoln joked with a grin, and that managed to make her smile quite a bit.

Talk to Clyde's internship soon turned into talk of his dads coaching the little league softball team, one Lily had expressed interest in joining. Hearing how they cared so much not just about their own son, but also other children in the community, was really heartwarming. It really was.

But, it was still bittersweet. Her dad never taught her or Bobby about sports. Everything they learned about those things, they had to do on their own.

She tried her hardest not to let that bother her, or Lincoln's seemingly five hour rant about how he was finally getting a car soon thanks to his own father.

"That's great Lincoln, seriously," she told him.

"_That's great Lincoln. Thanks for reminding me I'll be stuck riding a skateboard for the rest of my life," _she thought to herself.

Conceal, don't feel, put on a show. Those are the rules she followed as they made their way to their favorite arcade/pizzaria, and she did a pretty good job saving face. Lincoln seemed happy to be there, he seemed to be having fun.

And as long as she could _pretend _she was doing okay, all while passing fathers and mothers strolling their kids or laughing and smiling about family matters… she could consider it a victory.

She could wait until later to cry about it.

…

Finally, they make it to Gus'. Lincoln tries (and fails) to inconspicuously race his way to the door so he can hold it open for Ronnie Anne. And while she wants to roll her eyes at how _obvious _it is he's trying so hard to make her feel special, she'd rather not bite his helping hand. There's still a chance for this… uh, _not date _to go well, after all.

So she just fakes a little smile as she passes through the door, simply telling him "Thanks," as she passes through. Once inside, the first thing that sticks out to her is the smell. Anything smells good when you're hungry, but even this place could use some incense.

The second thing that she notices is the music blaring over the PA system.

*No chance no way I won't say it, no no.*

*You swoon you sigh why deny it oh oh!*

*It's too cliche I won't say I'm in love!*

"Of course," she mutters to herself before feeling Lincoln's hand gently rest itself on her back.

She looks to him, seeing that dang smile of his once again. "Alright, so what do you wanna do first?" he asks her.

She thinks it over as she presses her finger to her chin. Part of her wants to say _go get pizza, _but she realizes it's probably better to have some games before some grub. Then again, she hadn't really thought to hard about that when planning this get together. She knew she wanted food, and she knew she wanted to spend time with Lincoln. She sort of just imagined the rest of it falling together all spontaneously like they do in the Disney musicals.

She looks around, trying to decide on what they should do together first. There's the skill crane, which no one actually plays to win as opposed to just yell at it for the laughs.

Then there's the laser tag. Which… in all actuality, is just an inside joke of it itself.

Ski-ball, DDR, Pinball machines, arcade games, these are all things that she would normally be elated to choose from.

But today, all she can really focus on is how when she sees the people playing them, is how she doesn't have what they have. Why? Because so many of them are fathers spending time with their sons or daughters, all having the times of their lives. These are memories that, for them, will last forever.

For her? All she has to look back at are her lonely, overworked mother, and a dusty baseball mitt that never got to be used the way it should have been.

She lets out a sigh, but for Lincoln's sake, tries as hard as she can not to let the cracks show. Today is about making sure he has fun.

"Why don't you pick?" she suggests.

He meets her with some incredulousness, which scares her for a moment. Could he see what she's really feeling?

Fortunately though, he just shrugs, and points over to the DDR machine. "Well, you know I still have to try to beat your high score," he reminds her.

She fakes another smile upon realizing how true that is. Dang, this really isn't how she wants her streak to end. Maybe kicking his butt is just what she needs to get back out of her funk…

"Alright, you're on!" she says with a genuine smirk, and they hurry their way over to the machine.

However, they're stopped in their tracks by some jerk lookin' dude in a Coca Cola T Shirt working the concession stand. "HEY!" he barks, "You've got to pay money!"

Lincoln just frowns, then digs his hand into his pocket to pull out a wad of dough.

An actual wad of dough. Luan must have put it in there thinking it would be funny.

He discards it in the nearest waste bin, and then finds actual money to give to the sketchy looking GGNG employee.

"Ah yeah, I can't wait to buy more Hearthstone cards!" he says aloud, probably not realizing how cringey it makes him look.

Ronnie Anne and Lincoln just meet him with disgusted looks before continuing on with their merriment. Well, it could be called that, if only Ronnie Anne could actually get her head in the game.

Any other day, she could totally stomp Lincoln. This game was hers to win, forever and always. But just a few seconds after starting to play, her focus is disrupted by the two people waiting for their turn after them.

An older man, and his young daughter. From the looks of it, she has to be probably eleven years old. She wears her hair in a ponytail, has a snug Mickey Mouse hoodie keeping her warm, and a bright, shiny smile burns on her face as she holds her father's hand.

"Wow, they're really good!" she says regarding Lincoln and Ronnie Anne.

"They sure are, sweetie," he agrees. "Maybe you can teach me how to dance like they do, huh?"

The little girl laughs at his joke. "Oh daddy, you're so silly!"

It shouldn't make her son angry. She knows this little girl probably deserves all the love and attention her father gives her. But Ronnie Anne can't fight it. So many repressed, latent feelings of anger, pain, and even hate swell up inside of her. Sure can barely focus in anything, let alone some stupid game of DDR.

Luckily though, the stupid thing finally ends, and the sound of a familiar victory whistle blows from the machine. However, it comes from Lincoln's side this time, not her own.

She just grimaces as she watches him celebrate, throwing his hands into the air and unrelenting with a loud "WOOO! I DID IT!" He looks to her with a proud, unforgiving smile that would make Lynn Jr proud. "I knew I could beat your score if I just picked the right song! And you said I could never do it!" he teases with a little laugh at the end.

Seeing the way she frowns though, dejectedly hunching over as she puts her hands in her pockets… it crushes any pride he was feeling.

"Uh, Ronnie Anne? Are you okay?" he asks her.

She tries to look into his eyes, but she can't. It isn't his fault. She knows that. But she can't help but just be a little angry at him too. Angry at everyone and everything, really.

"I just… I think I just need to get something to eat. I'm not feeling myself," she tells him without even really thinking it over.

Lincoln somberly winces before offering a suggestion. "Hey, why don't you go get us a booth, and I'll get us some wings? I'll buy since I was kind of a jerk just now."

Ronnie Anne shakes her head as she reaches into her back pocket for her wallet. "No, I'll buy. That's how it works. You buy tickets, I buy food. That's how we've always done it."

Lincoln raises a brow with some concern. "Are you sure? I mean, I don't mind-"

"Yes, I'm sure," she interrupts him, finding a twenty dollar bill and putting it in his hand. "Besides, I want pizza. Make it happen, doughboy."

He kind of wants to argue with her about it, but he decides to concede and make his way over to the concession stand as she does as he recommended.

She finds the booth farthest away from everyone else, and lets out a heavy sigh as she takes a seat. This sure as heck isn't how she wanted today to go, but now she just wants to be in her feelings. What's the point of fighting it? She should just give up.

Like her dad did on her. Like she did on him, eventually…

She didn't have a choice though. It's not like that's what she wanted to happen. She wanted to hold out hope that maybe he could change, that maybe he could come back around. Maybe he'd realize he was wrong, maybe he'd offer _something _to salvage their relationship. Better late than never.

But he never did. Even after a lifetime of waiting, he never tried. And while she had accepted that now, she still hated feeling this way.

"_I just want to move on…"_

Lincoln eventually returns to her with some steamy slices of pizza, as well as two bottles of Coca Cola. "Hey, sorry, I know you like root beer the best. But that creep at the register was _really _uptight about getting us to drink Coke. I couldn't take his screaming anymore. I just gave in," Lincoln shamefully admits as she sets their food down on the table.

Ronnie Anne only barely meets his eyes before fixing them back down to the table though. "Oh? That's okay. It's fine," she simply says.

Lincoln winces with sorrow. He then remembers he has some change for her, and digs through his pocket to collect it. "Oh, do you want your change back? It's not a lot, but… uhm… still…"

She just shakes her head and dismissively waves, not even saying anything.

It's at this point that Lincoln can't hold back his own feelings. He can see the pain in her eyes, he can sense the sadness coming from inside of her. He knew her better than she knew herself, and right now, she knows for certain something is wrong.

He also knows she'll try to fight it when he tries to talk to her, that's just her style. But it sure as heck isn't going to stop him from making an effort this time.

"Ronnie Anne, what's going on?" he asks as he takes a seat, intently fixing his eyes on her to show just how serious he is about getting through.

She forces herself to look back up to him. She can see the worry in his expression, and while she knows he just wants to help, she just… she just can't let him in. It isn't as easy as being able to just say how she feels, like he probably can with his dad.

No, that's not how she is. She'd much rather just keep these feelings to herself and forget today ever happened. It's not worth bringing Lincoln down to make him feel so depressed when he can just go home and work on his comic, or play with Lily, or do anything else productive besides sit her and feel sorry for her.

She can do that well enough herself.

"Just forget it, Lincoln. I'm sorry I've been crummy company today. I should have just left you alone," she apologizes before taking a bite of her pizza. Because, even if she's sad, she is pretty hungry.

He frowns at that. "Ronnie Anne, don't say that," he begins. "If something is wrong, I just want to help you."

"Lincoln-" she sternly intervenes, feeling her emotions get the better of her.

Before she can become to flustered though, she finds security in his baby blue eyes. She can see that he's serious. She can tell that more than anything, he just wants the best for her.

And while she may want to keep him in the dark, she realizes something now. Maybe the best thing she can do for him… is to just let him know the truth.

So with that, she takes a deep breath. "Lincoln, could we maybe talk about this somewhere a little more private?" she asks him.

He considers her request for a moment, pondering just how important it really is to take their business elsewhere. When he feels the cringey guy at the concession stand's eyes burning a hole into him though, he decides that, she's probably right.

And even if she wasn't, he wouldn't argue with her.

"Okay. Whatever you wanna do," he tells her.

* * *

They make their way back out into the winter weather, where a break of wind now gusts through the Royal Woods air. It was easy to mistake the day for something from summer, but now Ronnie Anne finds herself taking her hoodie from around her waist to actually wear the thing and protect herself from the chills.

It's easy enough to fight the weather. Sure. What isn't so easy is knowing that, here and now, she's promised herself to trust Lincoln. She won't let pretenses and fears keep her from keeping him away any longer. Not when she owes him for… everything he's given her.

And she knows he won't see it that way. Of course he won't. If anything has been established in all of their years knowing one another, it's that, he isn't the type to keep score. It isn't about giving and taking with Lincoln, it's about just doing the right thing and being a good person to the people you love.

Gosh… she hoped her sentimentality wouldn't get to her _that _much. Talking about something as personal as her father is one thing. Telling him how she feels about him is something totally different.

For Lincoln though, he simply stays quiet as he walks at her side, slowly making his way with her around the sidewalk as he waits for her to maybe be the first to break the silence.

He realizes soon enough that that probably isn't fair for him to do, so he bucks up, and takes it upon himself to say what _he _wants to say.

"So… Do you wanna tell me what's going on?"

Short, simple, to the point. Good start he concludes. And maybe he's right, because he sees Ronnie Anne lift her head and let out a sigh.

Belatedly, she begins to tell him what's troubling her. "Lincoln, I have to be honest about something. But please just don't be angry at me when I say what it is."

He meets her with surprise. "What? Of course not! There's no way I can get mad at you?"

She furrows her brow at him. "You don't even know what it is, though."

He shrugs. "I don't care. Whatever it is that's bothering you, I want to help. You deserve to feel better after letting me ruin your day," he says to her.

She frowns at that. "No, Lincoln. It's not you at all…" She steels herself, bracing for the impact that will surely come with her confession. "You wanna really know what it is? It's…"

She stops, desperately trying to find the strength to continue. It's so much harder than Lincoln makes it out to be though. Anytime he has an issue, he can just tell others what's going on. Why can't she be like that? Why does she have to feel so stupid for feeling like this?

And he notices. She knows he notices with the way he looks to her with such pity. "Ronnie Anne?"

She still can't say it. No matter how hard she wants to, she just can't let herself break through this barrier, or free herself from the fear inside. She's been let down one too many times in her life thanks to very same man who causes her all of this distress now, and now it's happening again, and Lincoln has to suffer for it…

He can see her struggling. It's almost too much for him to bear at this point. He can feel the adrenaline start to course through his veins, and he doesn't really think before speaking. He just goes with what his heart makes him do.

"Uh, listen Ronnie Anne. I don't know what happened to set you off today. If it was me though, Ijust want to say how sorry I am. You know I would never hurt you, right? I… I hope you know that…"

Man… hearing the guilt in his voice for something he didn't even do… That's what does it.

She can't let him feel this way too. She won't let that happen. That's when she bites the bullet, and decides to put her big girl panties on to say how she really feels.

"It's not you, okay? It's my dad."

It's almost as if a bomb has dropped as the two of them stop in their tracks. In a sense, one kind of has. For Lincoln, there's a swirling blend of emotion inside. What could she possibly mean? What happened today to make her think of this now? What even did he do?

For Ronnie Anne? She's just getting started.

"Lincoln, I'm sorry. But seeing the way everyone else has somebody like that in their life? It really makes me feel bad. I know I shouldn't be angry. I know I shouldn't be sad. But you know what? I am…"

He simply gives her his attention as she lays it all on the line, really letting it all go as she gives in to the feelings cascading inside.

"I know I never said much about him Lincoln. But you know why? Because I hate him. There. I said it. I don't want to hate him. I know I shouldn't. But I do."

At this point, tears begin welling in her eyes.

"He was never there for me, never there for Bobby, or my mom! And even when he was? He was just a miserable prick. All he did was make us all feel bad, or ruin perfectly good days like he's doing right now!"

She takes a moment to catch her breath, trying hard not to let herself become so carried away. But it's no use. She really just feels like being upset, and dang it, she's going to.

So Lincoln just stands there, taking it all as she pours her heart out to him. He'll gladly be the one to take it, he'll gladly listen to what she has to offer.

Anything for her.

The emotions reach fever pitch now, and she lets them.

"I just wanted someone to be there for me to do the things your dad does for you, for your sisters. I just wanted someone to talk to about things, someone to play with, someone to help me when my mom and my family couldn't. And you know what? He never cared. He never once tried to make things right."

"I don't care anymore! I just want to forget about him!"

"Why… Why couldn't he love me?"

That's what really she can't help it. She has to break down and cry.

She can't do it in her father's arms, she knows that. For the first time, for the _actual _first time, that has registered in her thoughts. He's not going to ever be there for her, and that's just the way it has to be.

But… there's a silver lining.

When the tears begin to crash around her, when her feelings really get the worst of her…

Someone is their to catch her.

She doesn't even realize she's doing it, but she buries her face in Lincoln's chest as she lets him wrap her into his embrace. His hug is so warm, so comforting… what she'd wanted all along. Maybe he wasn't her father, and maybe he couldn't do for her what she always wanted from a man like that.

But right here? Right now? She's finding some security in his love.

And that's all that really matters.

* * *

A little while later, the two of them have almost made it back to Franklin Avenue. Ronnie Anne has managed to stop crying, and Lincoln has somehow managed to keep his own tears from falling with her vulnerable display.

It's been hard for him to see her like this. Almost as hard as it's been for her to show this side of her. One she's never let him see, even after years of friendship.

It takes some time, bit eventually, he breaks the silence.

"Hey… Are you gonna be okay?" he timidly asks her.

She meets him with tired eyes before facing forward again, almost ashamed to let him see her like this.

"I will be," she curtly answers.

For a moment, Lincoln considers what else he can possibly say. There's the usual internal struggle. On one hand, he risks pushing her away by saying the things he really wants to. His honesty could be the thing that hurts her most.

But the other end of the sword is much more treacherous. If he doesn't say enough… they could both regret it forever. He will, at least.

And it's that thought that makes him realize what he must do. She was able to open up to him, and he trusts her to let him do the same.

"I've been thinking about what to say. I know this isn't easy for you. None of it," he starts. Ronnie Anne glanced to him, giving him the attention he gave her when she opened her heart to him before.

In all the years she's known him, she's never seen him so serious. Gone is his usual spunk and lively energy. Instead, there's a mature kind of focus. He isn't sure he can fix this problem at all.

But he will do anything he can to try. She sees that much.

"I could say a lot of things about your dad, Ronnie Anne. I could tell you how he's an idiot for giving up on something as special as you. Or how he doesn't deserve you to begin with," he asserts, letting the resentment seethe through his words.

He's able to ebb on his frustrations though. That isn't what's important, he decides. Nothing he can say about her father can change how things are with him.

What he can do, what he chooses to do, is show her what he _does _view to be important.

He stops before her, and meets her with an emotionally charged gaze. It's the most powerful his azuel eyes have ever been, and she can't resist their draw.

So she gazes back, staring deep inside of them. Inside of _him._

"But as far as I'm concerned, he doesn't matter. You wanna know why?"

Her glossy brown irises give him the affirmation he needs to continue.

With a racing heart, he does.

"I know you're loved Ronnie Anne. I know you are. You can't tell me your brother and your mom don't care about you. Or your cousins. Or your grandparents. And maybe they don't say it, but I know for a fact my family thinks the world of you."

She wants to believe him, she really does. But there's still a lingering doubt in her mind.

But he's far from finished.

"Ronnie Anne, _I _think the world of you."

That really gets her attention. She's sure to keep her eyes fixed on him, hanging on to every word with a sense of desperation now as she feels her heart begin to pound in her chest.

Lincoln swallows some spit swelling up in his throat. This isn't easy, it's one of the scariest things he's ever had to do. But dang it, she needs to hear this now more than ever.

"I won't lie to you. We've become so close. I can't imagine what my life would be like without you!... And… if I'm being totally honest… Sometimes I imagine the rest of my life _with _you…"

"I don't want to say the wrong things and here and screw this up," he admits while nervously rubbing his arm. "But I know one thing for sure. Even if no one else in the whole world saw you the way I see you, and trust me, they do… Nothing could stop me from being here for you. I will always care."

She feels her heart practically melting in her chest as she feels another tear fall from her cheek. This one isn't one of pain or neglect though. This one comes from a better place, one where she feels safe and sound with the man in her life right now.

"I'm lucky to have you in my life, Lincoln Loud," she says to him, feeling a warm swelling in her chest as she keeps staring into his eyes like this.

He offers her a familiar smile in return. One she's seen many times, but one that, for the first time in forever, makes her realize just how much she really, truly loves him.

"Not as lucky as I am to have you," he says.

Dang it, that does it. She doesn't care if it's sudden, she doesn't care if her face is puffy from crying. She wants to show him just how much he means to her, and she'll do it against all odds.

With that, she rests an assuring hand on his face, prompting his eyes to widen. It's adorable just how clueless he is sometimes, but maybe she can help him with that…

She closes her eyes, and slowly perches her face to his in order to plant a tender kiss on his lips. It isn't long, it isn't dramatic. But it is very powerful, very passionate nonetheless.

When she breaks away, she feels her own lips curve into a smile. And it chooses to stay there a while when she opens her eyes to find him just as happy as ever with the way he smiles back.

For a little bit, nothing is said between the two. They just look to one another, sharing their feelings of respect, love, and admiration for one another with just this mutual gaze.

But Lincoln's last name is Loud, and he doesn't let the quiet overstay its welcome.

"Wow," he simply says.

Ronnie Anne can't help but chuckle at that. It sure was funny how today turned out. She knew she wanted to get the best of Lincoln when she opened her eyes this morning, and while she didn't want to dwell on dark corners of her past the way she did, there was at least some great good to come out of it.

It gets even better as the two of them embrace the synergy surrounding them, deciding to inch their hands closer together before clasping them and meeting one another with more smiles.

And in each other's eyes, they find something they knew they would, something they always secretly knew had been there all along.

True love.

"Hey… Do you wanna come back to the house?" Lincoln asks her with rosy red cheeks, prompting her to feel a little surprise.

"Your house? Like, now?"

"Yeah," he gladly responds. "I think it will be good. Come play some games with me, get some good food- not that greasy overcooked pizza they have at the arcade…"

Ronnie Anne isn't so sure at first. But when she remembers just how warm, loving, and accepting the Loud family really are… it makes it easy to come to a decision.

"So, what do you say?" Lincoln finishes.

And while she acts like she needs to think it over, she's already made up her mind. She can't possibly say no to things that all sound so good.

Especially spending more time with her man.

"Mmm, sure. Why not?" she playfully tells him with a lasting warm smile encroached on her face.

And with that, they make their way hand in hand along the road, bracing the weather of the February day. It isn't long before Ronnie Anne stops though, deciding to take off her jacket and once again tie it around her waist.

Because it really isn't so cold after all.

THE END


End file.
